Angela
by booklover5784
Summary: During Artemis's trip to find a fairy, he encounters a young girl named Angela.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter On

Artemis grunted as he trudged along the dirt path of Ireland. He was on his search for a fairy ritual. The last stakeout proved to be a failure, so Artemis and Butler had to stay at a nearby village to stock on supplies before moving to the next place. Even though the two have to stay for two weeks, Artemis already resented it since they could not go home. Instead, they have to stay at this humid place before traveling again.

Tired and hungry, Butler decided to stop and buy some food. He peered into a little shop and decided it was worth his time. Artemis snarled and started to drag Butler out until he heard a shrill voice, "Customers!"

"Come Papa, come! There really are customers at the door. And I'm really not hallucinating!" a girl about Artemis's age exclaimed. She had wavy locks of brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Her bright green eyes seemed to block her light tan skin. The girl had no freckles, which was unusual for someone Irish. Artemis couldn't be more disgusted at the girl's bubbly personality. When a man who looked like a typical Irish person came, Artemis couldn't help asking, "Sir, are you sure she is your daughter?"

That would be really offensive to someone, but the man laughed it off and replied, "She is my daughter, but she inherits her Dutch mother's looks." When the man looked at his smiling daughter, he included, "But Angela here has my personality."

Angela. The name of the girl hit Artemis square on the chest. Angela. It sounded just like his mother's name. Angeline. Angela. Angeline. Even child prodigy Artemis couldn't digest this information. How can someone so different share something so dear? Artemis stared at the girl, trying to discover more similarities. "How old are you?" Artemis slowly questioned, saying one word at a time."

"I'm eleven, but I'm turning twelve in two days." Another clue.

"Favorite thing to do?"

"Oh, I like to play outside with my friends."

Artemis decided to stop interrogating and settled down to eat.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Artemis awoke to the sound of shuffling footsteps. Butler was bustling around their hotel room, placing down various items in different places. "Oh, you're awake." Butler said. "I was wondering if we could go down to the same café as yesterday." There was something devious in the smile that Butler was giving Artemis. Artemis could not think of anything, so he replied, "Okay, Butler. But we are on a limited schedule, so we have to eat fast."

By the time the two arrived, Angela was leaping out of the kitchen. She had two platters balanced on her hands, and she gently placed them down in front of Artemis and Butler. "Artemis! Butler! What a delight to see you both again!" Artemis stared at her, trying to figure out how she knew their names. When it dawned upon him, Artemis turned around and glared at Butler. "You told her, didn't you?"

Before Butler could answer, the once bright voice suddenly turned into a mocking flat one. "Artemis, give a break on your manservant. At least you have one. In this café, I'm considered a servant." Artemis couldn't help but laugh at Angela's perfect imitation. Butler raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often you would hear Master Artemis joking, let alone laugh. Butler's confused expression made Artemis laugh even harder, and pretty soon they were all laughing and giggling and joking.

Artemis bent over to catch his breath. When he looked at Angela, he saw something different in her. She was no longer a completely happy idiot, but a girl with a sour background, and would remain optimistic no matter what.

Angela caught Artemis staring, so he quickly turned around and found himself coloring. Angela noticed, and teased, "Oh, so Mr. Grumpy has a crush," making Artemis color even more. Butler laughed at this, resulting in Artemis forgetting why he was blushing. He quickly became himself again, and said, "When did I give you the permission to snicker at your master?" Butler dropped his smile and kept on eating his breakfast.

Artemis smiled, and asked, "Check please?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Angela was slouching over the dishwasher, filing plates in their proper positions. She kept smiling to herself, thinking about the young boy she had met the other day. His manservant had told her his name, Artemis. Since he had gone, Angela kept the images of his smile fresh in her mind. His dark hair being tossed with his head, blue-black eyes twinkling like the night sky, and bright teeth outshining his pale red lips and skin. When the repeating images started fading, it startled and worried Angela, causing her to drop her plate. Angela bent over to pick up the pieces and swore under her breath.

When she finished picking up the pieces, Angela yelled, "I'm done with the dishes!" Her sister, Maggie, replied, "Really? Now get on with the dirty tables." "That's Mike's job!" Angela complained. Papa, who was waiting at the kitchen counter, shouted, "Margaret, you know which duties your sister has. Angela, Michael's buying groceries, be a sweetheart and clean his tables." Maggie grunted at her dad's usage of names. She was entering in the local beauty pageant, so she needed an outgoing rep. Maggie practiced flipping her slick strawberry-blonde hair, opening her green eyes framed with dark eyelashes, and turning her plump lips into a smile. Unlike her sister, Maggie had a fair amount of freckles dotted across her cheek, perfecting the Irish look. The 12-year-old girl, whose ego was larger than a hot air balloon, thought she was a shoo-in to win this year. Poor Maggie had no idea someone had entered Angela's name, too.

Mike, the oldest of the siblings, came to the door with his 13-year-old friend, Aaron. Aaron peeked inside of the café, searching for someone. Maggie popped up in front of Aaron's face, startling him. "Hey, Mike. Aaron," she greeted them. Maggie busted out her pageant moves, hoping it would woo Aaron. Unfortunately for her, Aaron's heart belonged to someone else.

"Is Angela here?" asked Aaron. "Oh, she's over there cleaning the tables." Mike perked up at the sound of his duties being done for him, but the smile quickly dropped. "Tomorrow is Angela's twelfth birthday. She doesn't deserve to do my job." Mike quickly entered the building, leaving Aaron alone with Maggie. She batted her eyelashes at him, but he avoided looking at her. When Angela came to the door, Aaron hastily excused himself and gestured at Angela to follow him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The two strolled through the village, chatting along the way to the bay area. By the time they reached to the dock, Aaron had crafted a nickname for Angela. He still used the nickname when he grew serious. "Jelly, tomorrow you're turning twelve, right?" Angela nodded. "Well, I remember that your father said you can start to date men when you're twelve."

Angela knew what would happen next. He would ask her to be his girlfriend, but Angela wouldn't know how to respond. If she hadn't met Artemis, Angela would definitely say yes. But Artemis seemed so distant when he wasn't laughing, and Angela was determined to fix that. Angela looked up into the gentle brown eyes of Aaron, and she spotted flickers of fear showing in his eyes. Before she could respond, Aaron leaned down and kissed her. Angela forgot her worries and let herself melt in his strong arms.

Just before she closed her eyes, Angela spotted a mountain standing next to a string bean. No, that wasn't a mountain, that was Butler. And that was no string bean, it was Artemis. Whatever part of her heart that was melting became solid again and nearly leaped out of her chest.

Angela broke away from the kiss and gently but firmly pushed Aaron's grasp away. She leaped down from the dock and kicked up sand as she sprinted towards Artemis. Angela had no idea what she was doing, as if her brain had retired and her heart was in charge now. Before Angela could stop, her arms flung around Artemis's neck and they crashed onto the ground. By the time they got up, Angela was crying for some reason and Aaron had caught up to her and steadied her position. Artemis looked confused, and his face was flushed, while Butler didn't know whether to help his master or pound Angela into a pile of sand.

"Oh, A-Angela, it's y-y-you," Artemis stuttered. He scolded himself for sounding so simple, but he couldn't help it. This was the one person who could make him laugh and blush. There was something special about her.

"Who are you?" Aaron demanded, but he sounded more scared instead of angry. Looking down at the pale boy in front of him, Aaron realized that the boy showed power in his eyes. Aaron sneaked a peek at the towering mountain next to the boy, and immediately cowered back. "I'm terribly sorry, um, sir." Aaron tugged on Angela's hand, motioning for her to come with him, but Angela resisted. "I need to speak with Artemis," she promptly said. Aaron decided to give up and took off running for his life.

Angela turned to Artemis and said, "Why are you here?" Artemis thought of what to say, and decided to lie. "I heard the view of the sea was terrific here, so I'm here to see if it's true." Angela raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You're looking for something, aren't you."

Artemis felt like hitting himself. Apparently she could see through lies as well as making him laugh. He glanced into her green eyes, and questioned, "Do you believe in fairies?"

Butler looked alarmed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Master Artemis virtually never told people his plans.

Angela looked intrigued. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, "You're that guy from the ad, aren't you!" Artemis quickly clamped his hand onto her mouth, savoring the touch of her lips. "I will ask you to be quiet. Our mission is highly confidential. If any living soul finds out, my goal would be destroyed. Now, I have all the clues to finding some kind of fairy, but they seem highly hazardous. I fear that letting you know would put you into danger, but you would see the truth sooner or later." Angela blushed at the comment, and resisted the urge to plant a kiss to his cool hands. When Artemis pulled his hand away, Angela stumbled a bit, but he smoothly caught and steadied her.

Butler gazed warily at the scene, trying to interpret the emotions going through the two, and he smirked. Master Artemis, being twelve, was probably going through adolescence and this was just young puppy love. Having a busy schedule, he would most likely drift away from Angela soon. Butler sighed, pulling the two kids away from whatever trance they were in. Artemis was embarrassed with himself, so he turned to Angela and said, "Well, we must get going now. Our hotel room has a curfew too." Before they left, Angela called, "Tomorrow is my birthday, hopefully you can come!" Artemis smiled a real smile, and muttered, "Count on it."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Artemis woke up the next day with a smile on his face. He kept the smile as he got ready for the day. When Butler questioned him with a look, Artemis felt like dropping the smile but his heart wouldn't let him. As they left the hotel, Artemis nearly started skipping as they made their way to the café. Along the way, Artemis and Butler purchased a small gift.

When they reached their destination, a pretty girl came to the door. "Welcome! You people must be Angela's special guests. Come right in!" Maggie exclaimed. She led the guests to a large room behind the kitchen. Inside was Angela, her family, and (Artemis glared at him) Aaron. To Artemis's relief, Maggie immediately took a seat next to Aaron, much to his dislike. At least there was someone to distract Aaron from focusing on Angela.

For her special day, Angela wore her best dress (which was a plain blue) and the cleanest waist apron she could find (in Maggie's closet). To Artemis and Aaron, she never looked better. When the doorbell rang, Maggie happily said, "That must be the mailman. They finally have the results to the local beauty pageant. I'll go get it."

As Maggie came back into the room, she frowned at Angela. "I didn't know you entered it. It says here that you won." When Angela colored, Aaron stood up and sheepishly confessed, "I may or may not have entered Angela's photo and information." Artemis watched as Maggie's face turned red with anger, then confused, then disappointed, and then sad. She turned away from them and promptly left the room, but they all heard her start crying as she trudged up the café stairs. Angela's father sighed and left to go comfort her.

The remaining people decided to continue celebrating, and they talked and ate for quite a while. Artemis learned that Angela's mother died five years ago from drowning in the sea, and he also learned that Aaron was the son of the fisherman who recovered her mother's body. Artemis found out that it was Mike's idea to start a café, since their previous business was selling postcards with pictures of the underwater life that were taken by their mother. When Angela started opening her gifts, she gasped as she unwrapped the little figurine of a sprite. She shared a look of knowledge as she locked eyes with Artemis.

"Thank you."  
Artemis bowed his head like a gentleman and declared, "Well, Butler and I must get going, we have important places to attend." Angela asked, "Can you come to the dock in the afternoon?" Artemis nodded, not wanting to blurt out something dumb. Aaron looked crushed as Artemis left. Had Angela not met him, she would be his girlfriend by now. Alas, Aaron had a good heart, and he wanted Angela to be as happy as possible. Aaron would let Artemis and Angela's relationship continue as long as Artemis did not break her heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Angela ran all the way to the dock with her heart pushing her forward. She saw Artemis in the distance, and propelled herself forward until she crashed into his arms. Artemis laughed, liking the feeling of being special to someone. When Angela looked around Artemis, he said, "I dismissed Butler to give us two some privacy. A man that tall would definitely cause discomfort." Angela smiled, and she pecked his cheek. Both of them colored, and they were silent for a moment. Artemis summoned up the courage to ask, "Why is that you are so interested in me?"

Angela smiled, and replied, "This might sound clichéd, but you are different than any boy I have met. This includes Aaron. You don't laugh much, you are extremely intelligent, and you have a manservant who looks about seven-feet-tall." Artemis smiled. He could tell this was genuine because she sounded exactly like him. When Angela questioned the same thing, he simply stated, "You have a knack of making me laugh." She snickered, and playfully punched his arm.

After their horseplay, Angela asked, "When do you leave?" She silently hoped he would always stay with her, but Artemis sighed and said, "In eleven days I will depart." Angela blinked back rebellious tears and was about to say something when Artemis kissed her on the lips. This broke her straight face and she sobbed into Artemis' suit jacket.

Artemis calmly said, "Life is cruel, Angela, but promise to not let it destroy you." Angela looked up at him with her puffy red eyes and Artemis was briefly surprised that there were no mascara streaked tears. "I promise," Angela choked. "I promise life won't corrupt my spirit and destroy my world. I promise, Arty!" Angela screamed the last part and broke into another fit of tears. Hearing his pet name being used moved Artemis and he silently mourned with Angela as single tears flowed down his pale cheeks.

Artemis had not expected his time at the dock would end this way. He had pictured them chatting about life and watching the sunset together, but here they were, crying and mourning over life and Artemis' departure, ignoring the beautiful sunset. Artemis had even shared his first kiss, but it might mean nothing to Angela who had that handsome boy Aaron swooning over her. Still, the kiss was special to Artemis. As the days passed, the more time Artemis spent of her, the greater amount of heart he sacrificed. Just before all of his heart was given, Artemis had to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Artemis slowly tucked his suits into his suitcase. He stared out the hotel window, looking at the never-ending sea. He sighed and told Butler, "Please dial our ride and tell him to meet us in an hour." Butler dialed the driver and asked, "Are we going to say goodbye to Angela?" Artemis dismissed the question and replied, "We are currently on a tight schedule."

An hour later, Artemis got into his taxi while Butler placed the the luggage into the trunk. In the distance, Angela was running towards the taxi at full speed. She steadied herself on the car to catch her breath. Angela stood up straight and brushed off her skirt. "Why didn't you come say goodbye?"

"Must I?"

"It's polite."

Artemis glared at Angela, and matter-of-factly stated, "Must I remind you I have a choice over my actions. Besides, if I succeed in my goal, I'll come back to show you."

Angela's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Thank you," she said, "and please come back." Artemis nodded and entered the taxi with Butler following him. As the car sped off into the distance, a single tear rolled down Angela's cheek. Before it dripped down her chin, a warm finger caught it.  
"Is he coming back?" Aaron asked. Angela nodded but remained mute. She still wasn't sure of what she felt for Aaron. Aaron was a typical I-saved-and-helped-you-family boy with good looks, but Maggie was more interested in him than Angela. After standing in front of the hotel for a few minutes, Aaron started braiding Angela's hair. He unraveled the braid when he finished, and started working on a different hairstyle. Angela remembered that the first week since her mother had died, Aaron had found out that combing Angela's hair made her relax. As Aaron skillfully weaved through her hair, Angela slowly dozed off. Just before she closed her eyes, Angela saw an airplane taking off, and she wondered if Artemis was in it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A month later, Artemis and Butler were speeding back to Angela's small town. They weren't sure how much longer Captain Holly Short would remained drugged, but time was slowly ticking away. When they reached their destination, Butler went to get the sack containing the fairy while Artemis ran ahead.

Artemis burst into the café and saw Angela chatting to customer. She perked up when she saw him, and asked, "Did you succeed?" Artemis nodded and gestured to follow him. Angela excused herself and happily ran with him. After Artemis had left a while ago, Angela had forgot about him and focused on working in the café. Now that he has returned, Angela couldn't wait to see what he had brought. When Butler showed her the sleeping fairy, Angela gawked at her.

"She looks so human. Well, with the exception of her pointy ears. If she had regular human ears, she could pass for a midget," Angela rambled.

"That is true, but she's stuck with those ears, and a midget would not have those body proportions. Also, the fairy's name is Holly Short," Artemis explained.

Angela peered at the fairy closely, and exclaimed, "Wait, if she's a fairy, where are her wings?"

Butler snickered as Artemis sighed and rubbed his temple. "Angela, I might as well show you The Book of the People, but the text is in Gnommish, and it would take an awful lot of energy to translate every single page. The truth is, the fairies lost their wings many years, possibly centuries ago. Now technology gives them wings." Angela nodded along, soaking in the information.

She turned around to gaze at Holly again, from Holly's auburn hair damp with sweat, to her brown skin that wore the green LEPrechaun suit. Her face was plump and cherubic, and Angela pictured Holly as Cupid for a minute. She shook the image out of her mind. This fairy looked way too tough to be related to the baby-like god.  
When Angela looked away, Artemis said, "Well? Are you somewhat surprised that we have managed to capture a fairy?" Angela replied, "Honestly, yes. Even though I had believed in them before, I didn't think catching one was possible. You proved me wrong." Angela bent over and hugged Artemis, turning his face slightly pink. "Thanks for showing me Holly," Angela said. "I have to go now. My dad would be waiting." Angela ran off, and Artemis ordered Butler to get the car moving again. "Next stop, Fowl Manor!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Angela hummed to herself, waiting for Artemis' next visit. He would always visit for a few days after a long period of time, each time bringing new stories of his life. Artemis had taught Angela the ways of the People, so she understood his frustration during some visits. Artemis would sometimes talk for hours, describing each person he meets on his adventures. There was always talk about his mother, Holly, her short-tempered Commander Root, the centaur Foaly, and the other child prodigy, Minerva. Angela had felt a pang of jealousy when Artemis first talked about Minerva. The way his new brown and blue eyes would look into the faraway distance, and the tender way he described her. Nonetheless, Angela always enjoyed his visits and stories. The longer Artemis would stay away, the less Angela jealousy she felt when he would talk about Minerva. Soon, Artemis started using the same tender voice to describe Holly's different injuries, and Angela couldn't help but think about the same sleeping fairy he had showed her years ago.

"Can I join you?" Aaron sat next to Angela, his voice now deep and clear. After going through the years of puberty, he had become nearly as tall as Butler, but not as built. After Artemis' time travel incident, he and Aaron were about the same age, but Artemis acted a lot older. Since the last time Artemis had visited, Angela had grown more attached to Aaron than she would let on. As the two sat together silently, a sharp scream disrupted their thinking.

Aaron was the first one to act. He collected himself and ran towards the direction of the scream. Angela recovered from her shock and chased after him. They weaved between scared children and shocked adults until they reached the origin of the scream. A young woman was clutching at her hand, stained with blood and metal. Beside her was a cracked and exploded rectangle, originally a cell phone. The woman let out a small scream as the harmful toxins of the phone leaked into her wounds. Aaron stood, helpless, and for once didn't know what to do. Angela let the tears flow freely, and turned away as the woman drew her last breath. As she cried, Aaron hugged her and kissed Angela's forehead.

"Don't worry," he muttered under his breath. "I'll be here to protect you." Angela buried her face in his chest, letting her emotions flow.

"What's happening?" Angela asked. "Why did her phone explode? What's causing this?"

Aaron looked pained and answered, "I don't know, Ann. I'm not like your Artemis." There was a bitterness in his voice when he said Artemis' name, as if it was a curse. They continued hugging until Angela thought of her family.

"They can't. C'mon Aaron, we have to warn them!" Angela sprinted through the street, dragging Aaron with her. "Hurry!"  
They reached the door and Angela was about to open it until something inside blew up. This caused Angela to panic, and she tugged harder on the locked door. It was no use, and Aaron pulled Angela away just as something else blew up. This cause the door to rattle, and Angela struggled to be free from Aaron's strong hold. Another item blew up along with the door, just as Angela ripped away from Aaron. She bolted towards the entryway with Aaron trailing behind. Angela looked around, trying to find her family members, until the building shook and erupted.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Artemis Fowl II clone trudged along the ruins of the coastal town. He was searching for something that he mustn't lose. Artemis perked up when he heard a small cry of help. It has to be her. She hasn't died. He could feel it. Artemis gently set Holly down onto the ground, and he started sprinting towards the sound. While he was digging away at the rubble, Holly joined him, and without questioning, started digging along with him. They stopped when a room came into view.

Artemis leaped into the darkness and turned on his flashlight. He could sense another living soul staring at him through the darkness. "Angela?" Artemis said. A croak came in response. Artemis shone his light towards the sound, and saw a disheveled body nibbling on a piece of stale bread. She looked like a zombie version of his past love. Her brown hair was messy and embroidered with dust and rocks. Her lips and cheeks had lost their redness, and seemed to blend with her now pale, pasty skin. Blood dripped down from her arms, and scabs covered her faces. Artemis felt a pang of sadness as he saw her once brilliant green eyes now a dull pine shade. When Angela saw him, a flicker of life sparked in her eyes, but quickly faded when she saw Holly behind him.

"You really have changed," she wheezed. "And so have I." Angela gestured to the corpse on her lap. Aaron. She tenderly combed his hair and brushed the soot of his face. Artemis felt at the loss of words when she smiled sadly at him. "He saved me, you know. The building's roof was collapsing when he pushed me out of the ways. He sacrificed himself for me." Tears started flowing down her face, and Artemis went to hug her. "He thought he was doing the right thing, to save me, but he's wrong!" Angela burst into a fit of coughing, and she sobbed into Artemis' suit jacket.

"Angela, Angela. You can leave this place with me and Holly," Artemis suggested.

Angela glared at him at muttered, "Where do I go then? You're probably going to start a new life with Holly Short-" she spat out the name- "and where am I going to go? Nowhere, except up there!" Angela pointed upward, and she breathed, "Aaron's up there. My family including my mother are up there. They're patiently waiting for me to join them. Artemis, help me succeed. Put an end to my suffering and give me a quick death. Please."

Artemis let go of a few tears when he heard her wish. His adventures in recovering the Fowls' lost fortune had prevented him from enjoying a simple life with Angela. Now, she was leaving him.

"I can shoot her, if you want," Holly spoke up. She had been silently watching the two, and she felt sorry for Angela.

Angela readily nodded at Holly's proposal, and Artemis stood up. As he walked away with his back facing the two girls, he heard Angela say, "Thank you, Arty, thank you," and the sound of the gunshot followed right after those two words. Artemis let go his feelings, and even Holly shed a few tears. She didn't normally kill innocent people like the girl. After the silence, Holly asked, "Why couldn't we get Foaly to bring back all her loved ones, like he did with you?"

Artemis sighed and said, "We were gone for a long time. Even if the germs of her loved ones were still there, there wouldn't be enough to create more clones." Holly nodded in understanding, and muttered, "Well, we should get going. I feel like leaving these two love corpses alone." She attached her wings and flew out of the room with Artemis in tow.

As the human and the fairy left the remaining pieces of the explosion, Artemis looked back and said, "You're welcome."


End file.
